1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sectional doors having a relationship and structure of and between door sections to enhance the safety and strength of the sectional doors. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for reducing gap space between sections of a door to enhance safety and to enable one section to support the weight of another section, wherein the support is beyond the strength of the hinge coupled to the two sections.
2. Background and Related Art
Sectional doors are commonly referred to as “overhead doors” or “garage doors,” and are designated by such names by reason of their operation. Sectional doors are designed to selectively provide closure for a garage opening, such as an automotive garage opening associated with a home. In order to accommodate the closure of the opening, the sectional door is typically assembled from a plurality of horizontally oriented door sections having a length that spans the opening.
With reference to FIG. 1A, sectional doors, such as door 10, traditionally include a hinge 12 that causes the joint between sections of the door to open and form a gap 14 as the door is opened. Surface 15 is illustrated as the front surface of the sectional door.
The sections are hinged edge to edge to create the sectional door. The ends of the sections are supported and the movement thereof is directed by a track system that is mounted on each end of the sectional door.
Regrettably, thousands of tragedies have occurred in association with traditional sectional doors due to the formation of gap 14. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, gap 14 enables fingers 16 to be trapped, pinched, or otherwise injured. The injury may occur at the front of gap 14, as illustrated by fingers 16a, or at the back of gap 14, as illustrated by fingers 16b. The severity of the injury is typically related to the weight of the door. Thus, for example, the entrapment of fingers in a joint gap of a wooden sectional door can break bones, amputate fingers, and/or permanently maim a user. Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to augment or even replace current designs and techniques with other techniques to prevent or at least reduce the potential for injury.